May is Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) Awareness Month
The NEC Society is working tirelessly to accelerate research, raise awareness, and build a world without NEC. We invite you to share how NEC has impacted your life and support the NEC Society by recognizing NEC Awareness Month.
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May is NEC Awareness Month and May 17 is NEC Awareness Day
May is NEC Awareness Month because mothers are essential to our work of advancing NEC research, education, and advocacy. We will only build a world without NEC by partnering with and elevating mothers. Mothers provide the most protective therapy against NEC—their milk.
May 17 is NEC Awareness Day because science is essential to our vision of a world without NEC, but it takes an average of 17 years for research evidence to reach clinical practice. We cannot wait 17 years for today’s emerging NEC research to protect our babies in the NICU. We need to prevent NEC now. We need a world without NEC today.
How to Recognize NEC Awareness Month
By creating your own fundraising page, you can turn your story and your passion into real-world progress for lifesaving research, education, and advocacy.
Share our pre-made and customizable graphics, videos, and captions on your social platforms to help raise awareness for NEC Awareness Month and Day!
Honor children and families affected by NEC and inspire your community. Every event, from bake sales to galas, plays a vital role in advancing our mission.
Sign up for our NEC Awareness Run/Walk and build a team in your local community! Choose your distance and get moving with your friends and family!
Contact your elected officials about passing a NEC Awareness Day Resolution in your state.
Show off our NEC Awareness merch to show your support and raise awareness in your community!
The NEC Society offers educational materials that provide evidence-based information about NEC and empower parents to advocate for their child.
Stories demonstrate the urgency of our mission. If you have been touched by NEC, please share your story to help advance the NEC Society’s work and impact.
From Pain to Power
Our motto “from pain to power” recognizes the profound heartache that follows a NEC diagnosis. The pain caused by NEC often stays with us for a lifetime. It takes remarkable strength to channel our anguish into building a world without NEC.
Blue and Yellow
Blue represents the grief, trauma, and heaviness that families experience after a child is affected by NEC. Yellow, with boundless swirls, represents the hope for a world without NEC, and the light of our children in our arms and in our hearts.
When blue and yellow come together, we have a path toward a world without NEC through research, education, and advocacy.
In May 2025, we had our most impactful NEC Awareness Month ever!
With your help, we can do even more this year for babies, families, clinicians, scientists, and everyone who shares our vision.
Your impact during NEC Awareness Month 2025
The NEC Society community showed up in the most powerful way during May’s 2025 NEC Awareness Month. Together, we raised more than $135,000 to advance NEC research, education, and advocacy for infants and families. Every gift, every event, and every story brings us one step closer to our vision of a world without necrotizing enterocolitis. Please check out this short thank-you video expressing our profound gratitude for your dedication and support.
We want to see how you recognize NEC Awareness Month! Email Sarah@NECsociety.org any pictures you would like us to feature on our website and social media.